Cherish
by Chibi Washuu
Summary: Ummm... a sappy lil songfic for Inu-Yasha and Kagome. I'm no good at summaries for these things...


"Cherish"

Song by the Association

Fic by ~Chibi Washuu

Ok… another sappy Inu-Yasha/Kagome romance. I know, I know. I'm sorry. It's going to be cute though! (I hope!) So just read and enjoy and…please review!

__

Cherish is the word I use to describe

All the feelings that I have hiding here for you inside.

He was watching her sleep. Again. He always did, usually from the top of a tree, as he was doing now. If she was asleep she couldn't question the reason behind his staring. He could be completely honest…with her as well as himself. Inu-Yasha sighed slightly. He cared for her… deeply. _'Only care?'_ All right, he loved her… more than he had ever loved Kikyo or anyone else for that matter. Her life was one of the most precious things he knew of, and he cherished it. But she couldn't know that. He wouldn't let her know.

__

You don't know how many times I've wished that I had told you,

He leapt silently to the ground and crept through the camp to her side. She was so pretty when she was asleep. If only he had the courage to tell her…a lot of things. He had wanted to tell her—too many times to count—how he really felt. Innumerable times he had stopped himself from telling her that he loved her. But why? His brow furrowed at the sudden thought. Why did he always hesitate? It would be only natural to tell her such a thing. It might make things between them easier. But then it would also make things more difficult when she had to go back to her own time…for good.

__

You don't know how many times I've wished that I could hold you,

Kagome whimpered in her sleep, lost in some nightmare or other. She bit her lip as a single tear slid from between her closed eyelids. "Inu-Yasha…" she whispered.

Inu-Yasha blinked, surprised at his whispered name on her lips. What was she dreaming about? Gently, he reached over and brushed the tear away, his hand straying near her cheek. He wanted to wake her and hold her to him, to assure her it was only a nightmare… that he was here, and he would protect her.

__

You don't know how many times I've wished that I could mold you into someone

Who could cherish me as much as I cherish you.

But would she even care? The question dogged his every thought of her, pulled at his heart and threatened to rip it to shreds. Yes, he acted like a total idiot around her sometimes, but it was out of habit. And she may care for him as a friend, but it was very likely that she didn't feel the same way he did. Inu-Yasha stroked her soft raven hair gently. It was his one wish: to have her realize that he loved her with all his heart and to have her return those feelings.

__

Perish is the word that more than applies,

To the hope in my heart each time I realize,

That I am not gonna be the one to share your dreams,

Kagome woke to the feeling of something—or someone—leaning over her. She opened her brown eyes to see a familiar pair of gold ones gazing back at her.

Inu-Yasha backed away quickly as her eyes opened. He had been slapped on several occasions for being so close when Kagome first awakened. Now would not another.

Kagome sat up slowly, watching him. "What are you doing up?" she asked.

"Nothing," he replied harshly, looking away from her.

A hurt look crossed her face. He was thinking of Kikyo again… missing her… loving _her_. _'He'll never love me like that,'_ Kagome thought with a sigh. She was just a look-alike to him. _'He doesn't see me when he looks at me… he sees Kikyo.'_ The thought broke her heart.

__

That I am not gonna be the one to share your schemes,

It was Kikyo who had introduced love to his heart. Kikyo was the one who had eased the pain of being caught between two worlds for him (at least somewhat). They had made plans to be together. Inu-Yasha could have used the Jewel's power to become human and they could have spent their lives together. He would have lived out the rest of his mortal days with Kikyo. _Kikyo_, not look-alike Kagome. Never with futuristic, strange, Kikyo-reincarnated Kagome.

__

That I am not gonna be the one to share what seems to be the life that you could

Cherish as much as I do yours.

He still cared for Kikyo. Deep in his heart, he still loved her. If there was a chance that the priestess could be convinced that she and Inu-Yasha had both been deceived by Naraku, he would never stop loving her. He would never give up on her. It was one of the things Kagome admired: he never gave up. His determination, even with the worst odds, was remarkable. It was one of many things about him that she loved. But his determination was for love of Kikyo. Once things between them were patched up, Kagome knew that Inu-Yasha would leave her. She knew that. And the knowledge tore her heart to shreds. _'Inu-Yasha…'_

__

I'm beginning to think that man has never found

The words that could make you want me,

Kagome sighed. There were no words. Not even in her time did words exist that could possibly make him want her. There was nothing she could do. If he didn't love her, he didn't love her. But that didn't mean it didn't hurt.

__

That have the right amount of letters,

Just the right sound that could make you hear…

Nothing he could say would sound right. He rehearsed different things over and over in his mind during the day, deciding on one by sunset only to later decide that something was wrong with it. And if there was no logical reason for abandoning it, he would make one up to convince himself that he was right. _'It has to be just right. It can't sound too short or rambling. It has to be _perfect_ so that she can finally hear…'_

__

Make you see that you are driving me out of my mind.

Kagome's eyes filled with tears. _'Why can't he see that I'm going crazy over him?'_

__

Oh, I could say 'I need you,'

Inu-Yasha looked over at her and started in surprise. She was crying. _'Aw, man! What'd I do _now_?'_ "Kagome? Are you alright?"

She sniffled and reached up to wipe the errant tears from her eyes. "Oh, yeah. I'm fine," she said. "Well, I think I'm going back to sleep now."

"Kagome, wait." She looked up at him and the words stuck in Inu-Yasha's throat. He opened his mouth to say something…anything… "Kagome, I need you to stay here with me. I can't live without you. I can't imagine my life with you gone. I need you, Kagome. I need you and…I love you."

__

But then you'd realize that I want you just like a thousand other guys

Who'd say they'd love you for all the rest of their lives,

But he couldn't say that. He may as well pull a Miroku and tell her he wanted her to have his children. He'd probably sound just like that mongrel Kouga, who offered his life for her. Who claimed to love her with his life and promised to steal her from "that half-breed mutt, Inu-Yasha." Like hell he would!

__

When all they wanted was to touch your face, your hands…

"What is it, Inu-Yasha?"

Her voice startled him out of his reverie. "Umm… Kagome, I need to…uh…tell you something."

"Yes? What is it?" What was wrong with him? She'd never seen him so nervous before!

"Kagome," he began, returning to her side and taking one of her hands in his.

__

And gaze into your eyes.

He looked into her eyes and paused, the words dying on his lips. Her eyes. There was something about her eyes that always made his heart pound and his knees grow weak and his insides churn. "Kagome," he repeated, his voice barely above a whisper.

__

Cherish is the word I use to describe

All the feelings that I have hiding here for you inside.

Kagome stared into his eyes, watching his inner turmoil through their golden depths. She wanted to calm that, ease his troubled mind, but she didn't know how. She sighed, breaking the stare. Yes, she did. She loved him, cherished him with all his faults. But she would have to keep those feelings hidden forever. 

__

You don't know how many times I've wished that I had told you,

"Inu-Yasha," she began. "Once we find all the Jewel shards, if you want to go back to Kikyo, that's ok with me."

Inu-Yasha blinked. "Kikyo?"

"Yeah. I know you love her. And I know she probably still loves you, too, just like I do. She's just forgotten somehow." She sighed. "I've been wanting to tell you this for a while. Once the Jewel is whole again, you can go back to her. You won't have to worry about me. You can go back to her. I know you two made plans to live your lives together."

__

You don't know how many times I've wished that I could hold you,

Inu-Yasha stared at her a moment in shock. She…loved him? He opened his mouth to speak, but the words stuck in his throat. So, instead, he pulled her to him in a gentle embrace.

Kagome stiffened in surprise before molding against him. Was he thanking her? It didn't bear thinking about. But he was so warm…she wrapped her arms around him and nuzzled her head against his chest, forcing back the pain-filled tears that came to her eyes. How many times had she wished she could hold like this, and call him her own? Too many. Too many that he would never know about.

__

You don't know how many times I've wished that I could mold you into someone

Who could cherish me as much as I cherish you.

"Do you honestly think that I want to go back to her?"

Kagome felt the soft question more than she heard it. "What?"

"Kikyo. Do you really think I want to be with her?"

She raised her eyes to his, not daring to hope that she was hearing what she thought she was hearing.

"I don't love her, Kagome. She's not the Kikyo I fell in love with. How could I still love her, when she keeps trying to take you away from me?" He pulled her against him in another loose embrace and sighed, burying his nose in her hair and breathing her scent. "I won't let her steal you from me. I love you, Kagome."

Kagome felt like crying. "Inu-Yasha…" she began, her voice choked with emotion. She felt him starting to pull away from her and hugged him tighter. He had no idea how many times she'd wanted to hear him say that.

"How could you think that I don't cherish your life above everything else, you stupid girl?"

Kagome's tears stopped suddenly and she smiled, leaning her head against his chest and closing her eyes.

__

"And I do cherish you,"

He whispered into her ear. "I'll always cherish you."

****

END

Ok, I know. TERRIBLY fluffy! You like? You hate? Don't flame me too badly, please! I'm the sensitive type!


End file.
